Friday, May 29, 2015

I'm sure this is gonna be money well spent. Apparently the Knox County School Board will vote on whether to:

Approve agreement with Baruti K. Kafele to conduct a three-day training
on July 22, 23 and 24, 2015 for the staff of Vine Middle School and
staff of other schools who desire to attend at a cost of $15,000.00

Now, here's the catch: It's on the consent agenda, which is Latin for "rubber stamp."

Now, I'm sure Mr. Kafele is a good dude and means well. He's got a fancy website RIGHT SMACK HERE and he likes to refer to himself as "Principal" Kafele. (I like that. I'm gonna start calling myself "Reporter" Mike.)

Anyhoo, according to the contract agreement that the board will be asked to approve - find that bad boy RIGHT SMACK HERE - Kefele "will provide educations with specific strategies within the 'Closing the Attitude Gap Program and Framework' for closing the attitude gap toward the ultimate elimination of underachievement in their classrooms and schools."

He'll also be talking about "changing the intentionality of excellence."

Knox County political benefactor Troy Whiteside on Thursday pleaded
guilty to voluntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, roughly six years
after he gunned down a business rival outside what prosecutors suggested was a
gambling den.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison and must serve 35
percent of it, or about 7 years and four months, before he is eligible for
parole. However, he can get out earlier if he receives time for good behavior.

The deal, worked out by his defense attorney and the state,
was approved by Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood. It was handled by the office
of 3rd Judicial District Attorney General Dan Armstrong, whose district
consists of Hamblen, Green, Hawkins and Hancock counties, since a number of
Knox County judges and the Knox County District Attorney General's Office
recused itself previously.

Whiteside, who fatally shot Reginald “Stacy” sudderth in
August 2009, was immediately led away in handcuffs after the agreement was
approved.

“Mr. Whiteside and his family are very sympathetic to the
Sudderth family,” said defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs. “He is very
remorseful that a life was taken, but he has accepted responsibility. At the
end of the day, this was a killing based on provocation.”

"I will
always be grateful to the people of Knox County for their support,"
Haynes said in a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon. "It has
been an honor to serve, and I am truly thankful for the friendship you
have all given me during my time in the House of Representatives."

I just talked to Knox County Administrator of Elections Cliff Rodgers and he said his office is working to hold a special election to fill the seat on Aug. 12. This would be for the primary and it would be a standalone election.

He said they're also looking to hold the general election for that seat on Sept. 29, which would beheld at the same time as the Knoxville primary election.

I got this in earlier this morning from the state and found it interesting, dear readers. Hear ya go:

Theft and misuse of public money continue to be a concern as
outlined in two reports released today by the Tennessee Comptroller’s office.

The 2014 Report of Cash Shortages updates the status of
money stolen and missing from Tennessee’s 95 county governments as of June 30,
2014. The report documents money stolen during the 2014 fiscal year, as well as
previous fiscal years.

The state’s 95 counties began the last fiscal year with
$775,221.12 in cash shortages that had not been recovered. During the year,
$675,741.60 worth of new shortages were detected. Counties were able to recover
$661,981.49 through restitution payments, insurance claims or other means. That
left a net unrecovered shortage of $788,981.23 at the end of the fiscal year.

The Comptroller’s office also released its first report
detailing cash shortages and other thefts for Tennessee municipalities,
internal school funds, utility districts, housing authorities and other
governmental entities. These shortages were reported in fiscal year 2013 and
earlier.

Fiscal year 2013 began with $1,640,277 in unrecovered cash
shortages. During the year, $4,485,021 in new shortages were detected. A total
of $4,932,640 was recovered during the fiscal year, leaving an unrecovered
shortage of at least $1,154,633 as of June 30, 2013.

“These reports show why Tennesseans should join our office
in helping make government work better,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “I
am pleased to note the continuing efforts to recover substantial amounts of
public money, but theft remains a problem. I encourage all government leaders
to follow auditors’ recommendations and take the necessary steps to prevent
fraud, waste and abuse of public money.”

Both reports provide explanations of how the shortages were
discovered, methods used to steal the money, corrective steps taken to prevent
future thefts and legal actions taken against those responsible.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

A preliminary Knox County budget discussion on Tuesday focused mostly on paving roads and building schools.

The
Knox County Commission during its monthly luncheon spent about 30
minutes with county and school leaders talking finances – or the lack
thereof – and whether officials should tweak Knox County Mayor Tim
Burchett's proposed spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

At
this point, officials have said privately that they don't expect any
major changes without a tax increase, and they don't expect that.

Further, if the commission did raise taxes, Burchett has promised to veto the move.

In
the meantime, commission Chairman Brad Anders said the county needs to
invest more into paving and sealing roads. He said the county is on pace
to resurface about 30 miles of the county's 2,000 miles of roads per
year.

"We're one of the fastest growing counties in the state . . .
and we can't continue a 30-mile a year pace – it's not feasible," he
said. "It's not even changing the oil in the car."

Burchett's
budget this year sets aside $2 million for paving – up $1 million from
the current budget. The county spends about $100,000 per mile to seal
and resurface.

County leaders on Tuesday also met with Knox County
Schools Assistant Superintendent Bob Thomas, asking him whether the
board of education has looked into rezoning school districts instead of
building new schools.

The questions come as the BOE proposed
building three new schools – something Burchett declined to do, saying
he wouldn't take on new debt to pay for the construction.

Thomas
told commissioners that rezoning "is a pretty complicated process" that
requires community meetings, and that it would take at least a year to
find a solution. He said school leaders aren't opposed to the
discussion, but wouldn't be able to finish it before the commission
voted on the budget.

He also noted a recent study that looked into rezoning suggested that schools in the west would still be overcrowded.

Thomas
noted that in the next half decade about $5.3 million in debt will drop
off and the school system could apply those monies to new debt to build
at least two schools – a middle school in the Hardin Valley area and an
elementary school in the north central part of the county.

However,
he conceded that not enough debt would fall off that the school system
could use money to cover the operating expenses, which could cost as
much as $3 million per school.

Overall, Burchett's spending plan,
unveiled earlier this month, stands at $747.2 million. That's up about
$20.2 million with half the increase dedicated to the school system.

Of
that, some $435 million is set aside for general purposes schools,
which is roughly $14 million in new revenues for the system. However,
the school system asked for $441.5 million, an amount above and beyond
projected revenues.

The commission will vote on the budget on June
15. A public hearing will be held a week prior but officials have not
yet ironed out the date.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Here are 10 fast facts about Memorial Day, a holiday honoring
American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country:

Even though numerous communities had been independently celebrating Memorial Day for years, the federal government declared Waterloo, N.Y. the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo first celebrated the holiday on May 5, 1866.

Even though Memorial Day began as a holiday honoring Union soldiers, some states still have Confederate observances.
Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of
April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26.
North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and
Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates
Confederate Heroes Day on Jan. 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in
May Confederate Memorial Day.

Friday, May 22, 2015

In a joint meeting Thursday night, the Knox County Board of Education
and Knox County Commission discussed the proposed budget for the
upcoming fiscal year.

The board requested $441.5 million for
operational costs but is currently slotted to receive $435 million. That
represents roughly $14 million in new revenues for the school system
but it's not enough to cover what the board hoped to get.

At the
center of the debate Thursday night - how the two governing bodies can
bridge the $6.5 million gap and also come up with a way to build and
fund three new proposed schools.

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is declining to take on debt to cover construction of the schools.
"We
all want a good education system," said Brad Anders, chairman of the
Knox County Commission. "It's just a matter of how you pay for it, and
how you get there."

BOE members voiced concern about the
possibility of cutting a proposed 3 percent pay raise for teachers if
the additional money is not added to the school system budget.

"We're
very fortunate to have truly professional, expert teachers who care
about our kids and are providing great education, and we need to make
sure that their compensation reflects that success," said Dr. Jim
McIntyre, superintendent of schools.

The county has trimmed the
general fund side of the county budget over the last few years, Anders
said, so there is not a lot of room to make more cuts.

He said a
tax increase is inevitable in the coming years because Knox County has
not had a property tax increase since 1999. But that is most likely not
an option County Commission will consider this year.

"Do our teachers deserve more pay? Absolutely," Anders said. "But so do
our law enforcement, so do our health department employees. So under
these revenues, it's gonna be tough to do all that."

You know, I initially thought there was a slight chance that the commission would bridge some of the $6.5 million gap (no matter what some commissioners say, there is some money there), but after thinking about it more, I don't believe it will happen.

Anders makes a good point: Essentially, he says, if there's money around for schools, then that really means there's money around for the county.

As for a tax increase? Not happening while Burchett is in office. He won't do it and there's probably not enough on the commission who would. And there's certainly not enough to override a veto.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

In March, we broke the news that lawyers for disgraced former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard
Baumgartner asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review his
case, arguing federal prosecutors went too far in trying to apply an
arcane area of the law.

Don Bosch and Ann Short submitted their bid, called a petition for
certiorari, to the court. They're waiting to hear if the U.S. solicitor
general, which oversees U.S. litigation before the court, responds. An
April 3 deadline has been set for the response.

The phony baloney online survey that allowed people who don't live in the county to vote multiple times came back about two-thirds in favor of moving to the new system.

That's fine. Whatever. Personally, I don't think it's that big of a deal, although I am skeptical, if only because of the recent push. (Survey Monkey ruse. Heh.)

Anyhoo, it's all going to come down to cost, and I don't think the money is there.

McIntyre says he'll come back with the amount, but there's already some numbers getting kicked around, including as much as $10 million. Now, I'm not so sure it's that high, but if it's above and beyond the school system's expected revenue - and requires a tax increase - I don't see Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett supporting it.

Now will the Knox County Commission. Not if it's going to cost a ton of coin.

Further, there's a number of BOE members who are skeptical (and I'm not talking about the usual crowd). Doug Harris, according to Jack's birdcage liner, for example suggested that if we have the folding paper to cover a balanced calendar then perhaps it should first be used for teacher raises and new technology.

Good point.

Anyway, don't plan on a shorter summer break during the 2017-18 school year.

Monday, May 18, 2015

A former Knox County trustee's office employee accused of stealing
money from the county will plead guilty to federal charges of bank fraud
and conspiracy in an unrelated case, according to court documents.

Court documents show the
trio used false loan applications, forged documents and filed false tax
returns in order to receive lines of credit and loans from Pinnacle
National Bank, SmartBank and Bank of America.

The loans added up to more than $6.7 million, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Mubarak
originally pleaded not guilty. He will plead guilty to one count of
conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud and one
count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

Prosecutors will ask the judge to dismiss the remaining counts against him as part of the plea deal.
Mubarak is set to appear in court on Monday.

The
agreement doesn't include a sentence. Each bank fraud charge carries a
maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million
and restitution. The charge of unlawful money transactions could earn
Mubarak up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution.

Mubarak
is still awaiting trial in the Knox County case. He's accused of
serving as a so-called "ghost employee" and receiving pay for work he
didn't do. A judge granted a delay in that case after the federal
charges were filed.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Knox County leaders want to see if anyone is interested in buying and
re-developing the Andrew Johnson Building in downtown Knoxville.

The
county purchasing department issued a request for information, or RFI,
for letters of interest in purchasing the building. Submissions must be
received by 2 p.m. on July 15.

The 18-story building sits at 912
South Gay Street and currently houses Knox County Schools' central
offices. It was built in 1927-28 and is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.

The Knox County Board of Education discussed a
possible move for the central offices at its work session earlier this
month. Superintendent Jim McIntyre sought approval to ask for letters of
interest from property owners or developers interested in providing
administrative office space to the school system.

This isn't the
first time the possibility of selling the building and moving Knox
County School's offices has come up for discussion.

During today's Children’s Festival of Reading, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett announced plans for a new childhood reading initiative called Leaders for Readers. This volunteer tutor program will be implemented by the Great Schools Partnership.

Unlike previous volunteer reading programs, Leaders for Readers will train and supply volunteer tutors with materials in alignment with current classroom curriculum. Tutors will work during and after school at a variety of Knox County elementary and middle schools.

“Reading is the foundation of education, and I want to thank the Great Schools’ Partnership for their support of this initiative,” the mayor said in a released statement. “Our teachers do outstanding work, and we want to implement a program that aligns with what they’re teaching in the classroom so we can give them and our students the best chance of success.”

For more info, including a volunteer sign-up application, click RIGHT SMACK HERE or call 215-4501.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

So, if this turns out to be true, this dude is about as lame as you can get. He earned more than $105K a year in folding paper and he decides to rip off the county for just under $4K. Real smart, dude. real smart.

From the state: A special investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has revealed that former Knox County Schools nutrition director Jon Dickl used a double-dipping scheme to misappropriate at least $3,677 from the school system. This investigation was completed in conjunction with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.

Jon Dickl claimed and received travel and expense reimbursement payments totaling at least $3,677 from Knox County Schools related to expenses for which other organizations either paid or reimbursed him.

In addition to the double-dipping, Mr. Dickl was reimbursed $587 for a conference in Orlando, Florida, although event organizers say he was not registered for this conference. Investigators also questioned a $178 travel mileage reimbursement to accommodate Mr. Dickl’s personal engagement in Nashville.

In May 2014, Mr. Dickl used Knox County Schools’ employees and a vehicle to transport a school system clothes dryer from Karns Elementary School to his house for his personal benefit.

All of these matters were referred to the local district attorney general.

“This investigation highlights the need for improved monitoring of government reimbursements and travel expenses,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “It is unfortunate a former leader in the Knox County School system took advantage of the public’s trust.”

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The two at-large Knox County commissioners, Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas will host a community meeting next Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Henry's Bakery & Deli on Tazewell Pike.

"Ed and Bob feel that going out to the people eases the strain on those who, because of work, commitments, financial situation or the distance tot he City-County Building, cannot attend regular commission meetings," a new release states.

Monday, May 11, 2015

As expected, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett on Monday unveiled what
he dubbed a "no frills" spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year – one
that doesn't include a tax increase, but also doesn't fully cover the
Board of Education's own proposed budget.

The plan, however, sets
aside funding to give general county and sheriff office deputies, on
average, a three percent raise during the course of the year, and it
maintains the county's current level of services, the mayor said.

"Each
budget I've presented the needs of Knox County government without
raising taxes and this one is no different," Burchett said.

The
proposed budget, presented before the Knox County Commission on Monday
morning, stands at an overall $747.2 million – up about $20.2 million
with half the increase dedicated to the school system.

Of that,
some $435 million is set aside for general purposes schools, which is
roughly $14 million in new revenues for the system. However, that still
leaves the system, which asked for $441.5 million, short by $6.5
million.

"We cannot operate outside the existing revenue," Burchett said.

The
mayor also proposed a roughly $16.1 million capital budget for the
school system, giving KCS officials everything they requested except
funding for three new schools.

He did, however, include $2.8
million to continue covering the school system's elementary school
reading initiative, which he created several years ago; some $2.5
million for the Great Schools Partnership; and $1.2 million for a
Kindergarten intervention program.

"This is enough funding to
provide quality instruction for our students in the classroom, while
also providing for teacher raises proposed by the governor and the
superintendent," Burchett said. "We must pay our teachers more – not
curriculum coaches, not administrators, but our classroom teachers. They
are the people who, day-to-day, deal with students' healthcare issues,
family troubles, hunger and poverty, all while navigating ever-changing
testing standards and bureaucratic red tape."

KCS Superintendent
Jim McIntyre in his own budget released last month proposed giving
teachers a 3 percent pay raise. Because the mayor didn't fully fund the
plan, McIntyre and the Board of Education – barring a change by the
county commission – will have to go back and make cuts.

At this
point, it is not known where school leaders will trim from their own
budget, but McIntyre in an interview after the presentation said the
lack of full funding is "obviously challenging" and that it would "make
it more difficult" to provide the teacher pay increases.

He also
said the mayor's refusal to fund a school for the Gibbs community was
"understandable," since the school system did not suggest paying for it,
but said his choice to not support building schools in Hardin Valley
and in the north east part of the county is "a little bit perplexing."

The
superintendent said the school system could afford those two new
schools and some their operational costs because KCS will soon not be
responsible for some of the debt obligation tied to schools built in the
1990s as it will be paid off.

Burchett's overall proposed budget
also includes a $171.25 million general fund, which covers much of the
county's day-to-day operations. That's up about $7 million. Of that
increase, some $4.5 million is set aside for public safety, including $1
million for the new medical examiner's office.

Public safety
accounts for $81.9 million of general fund, and that jumped about 6
percent from the current budget. Much of the additional funding for
public safety will cover pay raises, increases in prescription drug
costs for inmates, health insurance and workers' comp.

The mayor
also allocated some $1.4 million in defined service contracts, or
grants, to the same organizations currently receiving them, including,
for example, monies for Child Help ($36,300); Sertoma Center ($4,200);
Salvation Army ($11,760); The Knoxville Chamber ($80,000); and Keep
Knoxville Beautiful ($6,720).

Burchett during his presentation
noted a steady increase during the past year in hotel-motel tax
revenues, which climbed to $3.15 million. The biggest beneficiary in the
upcoming fiscal year will be Visit Knoxville, which gets 40 percent of
the revenues, according to its contract. This year it received $2.26
million, but the mayor proposed setting aside $2.4 million for the
upcoming year.

Friday, May 8, 2015

The family of a Lonsdale Elementary School student who was injured
last summer when a recalled playground swing set broke is seeking as
much as $10,000 "for just pain and suffering" from Knox County and is
threatening a lawsuit. Big surprise.

The girl's father in a note to county
officials said school system and Lonsdale Elementary leaders knew that
the swing set, recalled in 2009, was a danger and refused to remove or
fix it. He said his daughter, a fourth grader at the time when the swing
set broke and injured her, suffered physical and emotional injuries as a
result of the accident. I don't think they did actually.

The incident was part of a three-part
WBIR 10News investigation late last year that looked into playground
safety throughout East Tennessee schools.

The stories noted that
in February 2009, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
announced a recall of a popular Playland brand swing set, telling
customers to "immediately stop" using it.

My thoughts: The mom and her attorney appear to be trying to negotiate with the county to cover medical bills, most of which from what I understand are diagnostic bills. Understandable. The dad, meanwhile, looks like he's after the money only. Look, I'm not saying the guy doesn't care about his daughter, however, nothing in his hand-written letter screams sincerity.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will present his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to the Knox County Commission at 9 a.m., Monday, May 11, according to the official release from the mayor's communications director, Michael "Medium Sexy" Grider.

The presentation will take place in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building, 400 Main Street.

You can also stream it live at www.ctvknox.org.

After the address, Burchett will host a series of public meetings on Monday and take questions about the budget. The meetings are planned for the following spots:

Monday, May 4, 2015

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is not expected to fully fund
the Board of Education’s budget request for the upcoming year, leaving school
officials to figure out where they will find some $6.5 million to make up the
difference.

The mayor also isn’t expected to support the construction of
any of the three proposed new schools when he unveils his recommended own
spending plan on May 11.

The school board in April approved a $441.5 million budget,
which was then sent over to the county mayor’s office to incorporate into the
overall spending plan for the entire county. The board also approved a $19.2
million capital plan that including some costs for building a middle school in
Hardin Valley and a new elementary school. In addition, the board voted to
include a middle school for the Gibbs community, but did not include or
designate monies to build it.

In an email sent Monday from Knox County Schools
Superintendent Jim McIntyre to school board members, McIntyre said Burchett “likely”
planned to appropriate $435 million for the schools. He also said that after
meeting with the county’s finance director he doesn’t feel that the mayor will
support any new school this year.

McIntyre noted, though, that Burchett does plan to cover the
almost $3 million early reading initiative that he established several years
ago.

The schools – if approved – would more than likely each cost
$2 million to $3 million annually to staff and operate. They also would cost
$20 million to $30 million to build.

Burchett, whose office declined to comment on Monday, will
present his budget next week before the Knox County Commission. The commission
will then spend the next couple of weeks reviewing it and making potential
changes.

The board, if it chose, could set aside more money for the
school system.

When McIntyre initially proposed his budget, it was already
above and beyond revenue projections by $5.5 million. Burchett expected
recommendation would add another $1 million to that.

The KCS proposed budget of $441.5 is a 3.9 percent increase,
or about $16.5 million jump, from the current school system spending plan.

Gerald Green, a professional planner with decades of experience in East Tennessee and North Carolina, has been named the new Executive Director of the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Green, currently the Planning Director for Jackson County, N.C., was selected by Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett after a six-month search process.

Jackson County Planning Director Gerald Green, left,
receives the Edwin M. Gill Award during the June 3 commissioners’ meeting from
N.C. Association of County Commissioners

Photo: Sylva Herald

Green has a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a B.A. in Urban Affairs from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He worked as Principal Planner for the East Tennessee Development District from 1979-1982, and in the decades since has also worked as a Senior Planner and Chief Planner for the City of Asheville, N.C., and in private practice as owner of NFocus Planning and Design in Asheville. He has been in his current position with Jackson County, N.C., since 2010.

“I am very excited to return to East Tennessee to work with the City and County and the talented group of professionals at MPC,” Green said. “I have returned to Knoxville often over the years, and I am impressed with all of the progress and growth the area has seen. I look forward to helping to build on that momentum through all of the planning services that MPC can provide.”

MPC was established in 1956 by Knoxville and Knox County as the agency responsible for comprehensive county-wide planning and administration of zoning and land subdivision regulations and remains so today, except for the town of Farragut. Funding for MPC activities comes primarily from City and County appropriations and from federal grants for specific initiatives.

Green will oversee a staff of 35, with duties that include preparing and adopting a General Plan; reviewing subdivision regulations and site plans; preparing and recommending zoning ordinances and maps to the Knox County Commission and Knoxville City Council; and reviewing proposed zoning amendments.

“MPC provides vital services to the City of Knoxville, and it is crucial that we have effective leadership at the agency,” Mayor Rogero said. “We had a very strong pool of applicants for this position, and Gerald really stood out. His background in both city and county planning, and his familiarity with Knoxville and East Tennessee, will make him a great asset to all of the constituents MPC serves.”

“I look forward to working with Gerald as the new director of MPC,” Mayor Burchett said. “In a very real way, the organization’s work affects everyone in Knox County, from individual residents to business owners, which is why the director’s position requires effective communication with the public. Ultimately, that is who everyone in government works for.”

Green was selected from more than 30 applicants for the position, and was one of three finalists interviewed by the mayors and a joint City-County search committee. Green will begin his duties on July 1, succeeding former MPC Executive Director Mark Donaldson, who retired at the end of 2014. Jeff Welch, Executive Director of the Transportation Planning Organization, will continue to serve as interim director of MPC until then.

the glass is usually half empty

My name is Mike Donila and I'm a reporter with WBIR in Knoxville, TN. I cover government. All politics is local, and mostly ridiculous. Travis Fain of Lucid Idiocy said that. He's a smart guy. This is my blog. The content ranges.